Written by Manoj Kumar Ojha
Guwahati: Eight Bangladeshi nationals were detained by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at New Bongaigaon railway station in Assam on Tuesday for allegedly entering India illegally.
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The action followed the circulation of a video on social media platform X, showing a group of around 150 people near the railway premises, which drew the attention of Assam Police and GRP authorities.
According to railway police officials, the detained individuals are suspected of crossing into India through the Meghalaya border. Verification of others present at the location is ongoing.
The detainees were identified as Babu Sheikh, Ashfaqul Haque, Alamin Ali, Mamun Sheikh, Mohammad Ali, Ruhul Amin, Musharraf Ali, and Asharul Haque. All are reported to be residents of Jamalpur district in Bangladesh.
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One of the detained individuals told reporters they had come to India seeking employment. The group had reportedly planned to travel to southern parts of the country in search of work. During questioning, they claimed to have paid approximately Rs 8,500 each to intermediaries to facilitate their entry into India.
Police officials noted that the group was conversing in Bengali, but with an accent distinct from local Indian dialects. The language difference contributed to initial suspicions, which led to further inquiry.
“The investigation is at a preliminary stage. More details will be available as it progresses,” a senior railway police officer said.
The incident comes amid heightened monitoring of border areas by northeastern states. Assam has increased vigilance under its policy targeting illegal immigration. On July 21, during a visit to Sipajhar, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the state had recently pushed back between 2,000 to 3,000 individuals who had entered Assam illegally.
The eight detainees are currently in police custody, and further investigation is underway.